Monday, May 7, 2018

As a beauty & lifestyle blogger, I love to try new things whether high end or drugstore products. Whether international or local brands, I just loooove to try new things & like to share them to my readers here in my blog.

It was my first time to be part of the SampleroomPh customer & hopefully someday, be a beauty insider (one of my wish)

They have given me 100 points upon registering so I immediately use it to try things I haven't tried out yet, you just have to pay the shipping fee. When I received the package I was so excited, the product was neatly packaged & they will give you an update of the delivery on your email once you have deposited your payment of the shipping fee.

The first samples that I got was the a small size jar of pond's age miracle day cream & 5 different scents from Bambini Cologne.

These are the things I got from SampleroomPh

The first product is the Pond's Age Miracle Wrinkle Corrector Day Cream. If you have read my morning routine, you know that the moisturizer I've been using is the Olay total effects before I apply my primer & foundation.

This has an SPF 18 PA++ which I always want in a day cream. It should have an SPF in it.

Net Weight : 10g

As you can see the size of this moisturizer. It's so cute. This was also sold in stores everywhere for just Php 99.00. They have also a bigger size 50g which was priced at Php 499.00. You can also buy this online at Zalora.ph, BeautyMNL & Lazada.ph.

Pond's trademark cream color is a light baby pink - very feminine. It has this mild creamy scent to it which is been known even before.

The texture is very smooth & light which easily can be absorbed to the skin. I think it has more water base rather than a silicone one. Basically, it acts just a moisturizer. Because it's so light & it's like a gel like form that easily melts so that's why it easily absorbs by the skin, it can't act as a primer not like other moisturizers that are creamy in texture which it can act as a moisturizer & primer in one. Not that I don't like it, don't get me wrong. I also love this type of texture.

As you can see the swatch above when it's blended.

The next product that I got is from Bambini.

It contains 5 pcs. of different scents in a 50 ml bottle encased in a pouch.

And look what it says on the pouch, how wonderful.

These 50 ml bottles are also sold in all nationwide stores near you.

Sunny Playtime - light orange-y powder scent that reminds me of morning sunshine. Like you just an aftermath of taking a bath. Smells fresh & new.

Ocean Kisses - smells like ocean breeze that reminds me of seaside scents where you can feel splashes of ocean waves hitting the stones as if giving you lots of kisses.

Cotton Cuddles - smells like cotton candy berry flavored scents that makes me feel like being wrapped in a soft blanket while sleeping in my bed.

Sunday, May 6, 2018

I know I am in a late wagon here but to defend myself, before I ever buy a new makeup product I just want to research for a moment & think it through because :

A) I have already tons of bronzers in my makeup collection

B) I don't want to waste my money in buying something that I will regret later on

aaand

C) If ever I will buy it, when will I ever use it because - refer again to my first reason hahaha.

Last year 2017, one of the makeup trends in the runway was less is more in applying makeup, meaning let your skin breathe, no highlighter, contours & blushes just either bold eyes or bold lips. But what about those people, including myself, who've experienced some dryness or blemished skins like a bad hair day? Or like me who have a very dull skin or when you didn't have enough beauty sleep or feeling unwell & yet you want to look glow-y & fresh? Aaaannnnd THAT'S my friend is when bronzers & blushes & highlighters comes in but then what about the trend??? If you are concious of it? It's fine if you're not but what if?!?!

In my case, I will look in my collection for makeup that not only helps me look fresh & dewy (which the look I like the most rather than matte or dramatic) but also, helps improves my skin. It's a 2 in 1 right?

That's what I found in this product. The Physician's Formula Murumuru butter bronzer. I've been eyeing this for a while ever since they've introduced this in the makeup industry & I was suddenly curious of the word Murumuru? I've never heard of this word before, it's my first time. So, I looked at the internet for it's benefits. Guess what?! This is such a wonder! It's a moisturizer to the skin! Leaves a protective layer to the skin like silicone only it doesn't clog pores. Contains Pro Vitamin A which helps restore elasticity to damaged & aging skin & makes highly suitable ingredient for use in anti-aging formulations. It's also a soothing addition intended to heal dry & cracked skin, eczema & psoriasis. Talk about retinol baby! It's not only beneficial to skin but also to hair because it nourishes hair & have moisture sealing properties & boost hair's shine like coconut oil.

Now, let's jump to the product shall we?

Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer

Packaging : It has a bulking packaging. It has palm printed design but the center of the cover is transparent where you can easily see the shade of the product which I love the most in a product packaging. A plastic case that is opened & closed in snap like. A "Butter Bronzer" printed in a handwritten like on the center.

The shade that I chose is in Light Bronzer because I want this as an all over bronzer but not a contour one. At the bottom of the package, the shade, net weight & the company is printed.

When you open, the product has this wave-y design which reminds me of MAC's extra dimension skinfinish. It has this vanilla coconut scent which one of the scents that I love so much aside from citrus-y.

Underneath the product itself is another where you will find a mirror & a sponge-y applicator which for me is of no use. I prefer a fluffy brush than this, to be honest.

A mild coconut scent can be smelled upon applying it on my face & lasts for 2 to 3 hours. As you can see on my swatch, it's so light & there's some powdery form upon dabbing my brush on the pan. This shade is perfect for light / fair skin tone. It has a satin-matte finish so perfect for a fresh glow on the tops of your cheekbones or a blush for those medium skin ones. This shade is also good for those heavy handed as I am too! Haha.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Ever since last year when Micellar water became a hype. Lots of different brands of their micellar water version pops out from every beauty section in every mall that I went to and probably in other malls that I haven't been to as well both high end and drugstore products. On my beauty shopping at the beauty section at Landmark Trinoma, I saw this huge bottle at a very affordable price of 500 pesos. I also did a review of another micellar water brand - Simple. You can check my review HERE.

But first, before I jump into my product review, I would like to tackle a little more of micellar water. What is micellar water?

It is not just water but it's made up of small, tiny gentle microscopic oil molecules called micelles that's suspended in soft water but this does not foam like those soaps and cleansers do so, you don't need water to rinse it on your face because it dissolves the bad stuffs like dirt and grime makeup but don't worry it still keep the good stuffs on your skin intact.

How Micellar Water started? Well, we can thank the French women about that. As you all know and of course, everyone knows fashion and beauty starts from France. So, who really started this A-M-A-Z-I-N-G beauty product?

The very first Micellar water, that really started it all. Bioderma H2O which was created by Jean-Noël Thorel, a pioneering pharmacist in the 70s.

Now, that you know a brief history of the Micellar Water; let's go to the main topic review shall we?

Evoluderm Eau Micellaire

There are two (2) types - one in blue cap which is for dry skin and the other is the green cap for oily combination skin which I did took.

NET WEIGHT : 500 ml / 16.9 fl. oz.

At the back of the clear bottle are the ingredients and the directions on how to use this product which obviously to apply on your face using a cotton pad.

The cap is a flip open/close one which for me, I like it better than a twisted one because it control the dispense of the product and also, it prevents spilling too much which leads to wasting a ton of the product.

I do have a very sensitive and combination oily skin, so, when I tried Evoluderm Eau Micellaire I don't have any problems with this, it doesn't give any irritation too! I don't feel any oil in it just micellar water.

Have you tried Evoluderm Eau Micellaire?

What do you think?

Love,

Mary Ann

DISCLAIMER : I paid for this product with my own money. I am not paid, influenced nor am affiliated with this company. Everything I wrote in this post is in my utmost honest opinion.

Monday, February 26, 2018

Last year, miscellar cleansing water became a rave here & even before - it was being raved in other countries that's an advantage when you are watching beauty gurus at youtube haha. I've been waiting for it to be available here in the Philippines & when Simple - a good drugstore product is readily available here I cannot contain my happiness.

Finally, it's here!

PACKAGING : The packaging of this product (by the name of the brand itself is SIMPLE but there's an elegance overall). A semi-cylindrical shape, it's trademark is the green cap. I believe this the very first drugstore brand to have a micellar cleansing water. It's comparable to the ever expensive Bioderma H2O.

Net Weight : 6.7 Fl/ oz. / 198 ml

Shade : A clear liquid form

At the back are the step by step on how to apply this product and the ingredients as well.

Overall, I've been using this for months now and I've never experienced any irritation nor breakouts on my skin. It's gentle and soothing to my skin. There's no strong scent to it.

So, have you tried Simple Micellar Cleansing Water? If not yet, I highly recommend this product.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

In previous posts, I have tackled about red lipsticks. From finding the right red shade for you which you can read in this POSTto how-to rock those red lips that you can read in this POST as well as tips before rocking those red lips which you can read in this POST. Also, HERE is my post on my Top 3 Fave Red Lipsticks to give you an idea as well. Now that you have learned all about application & rocking red lips let me tackle other topics about makeup. You might already have an idea what's next that I'd like to talk to you & that's finding the right shade of foundation. Everyone of us, living in a very humid climate have a hard time dealing in finding a right foundation because a lot of us here have normal to oily skin or sometimes combination skin or oily skin. Why I say mostly oily skin? Not dry skin? It's because we always sweat & our skin releases natural oils from our body to remove toxics or dirt that got stuck in our pores which is a very advantage to us Filipinas that makes us look more younger than our age. It's like a flower pot, if you poured water everyday & let it expose to sun it will grow beautifully & gracefully. But if you just leave it there without putting water nor letting it expose to the sun, it will wither & die. Just like our skin.

Let me ask you, have you experienced applying your foundation & before the day ends you'll see patches or sometimes your foundation wears off? Let me tell you, it's because of the foundation.

WHAT?!!?? You might say? Well, foundation have different forms or kinds. There are liquids, creams, stick foundations & now, there's this mousse type.

LIQUIDS - you found this packed in bottle packaging whether in an open bottle or with pumped form like the Revlon Colorstay or ELF foundation or the Loreal True Match foundation. This is the most common form of foundation. This is a runny formula.

CREAMS - you see this in a glass jar like the Revlon whipped creme or the Maybelline creme foundation or sometimes packed in tubes. Comes in a thick & a little sticky like texture.

STICKS - from the word itself, it comes in a stick form like the Max Factor Pan Stick or the ELF Foundation stick or what's so in hype today the Hourglass foundation stick (the one with the triangle shaped).

MOUSSE - this comes either in a plastic bottle or glass bottle but usually with a pump for it to come out like the Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse.

Now, that you know the different types of foundation. Let's go straight on how to find the right shade of foundation for your skin tone.

SKIN TONE - how would you learn what shade, by looking the color of your veins on your wrists. If it's green you are more like warm tone meaning more of shades that are warm mostly with golden or beige shades. If it's blue veins then you are more of a cooler tone with more pink undertone in it. Like porcelain, ivory or light! Then, there's both blue & green veins which is more of neutral tone like nude, buff or neutral.

COVERAGE - there are three (3) types of coverage of a foundation. The light coverage which is a very thin, light foundation perfect for those who doesn't want heavy makeup or with no blemishes or uneven skin. The next one is the medium coverage which gives a little cover for blemishes or redness or uneven skin tone. The last one is the full coverage which gives a heavy cover on your skin, this is mostly has a thick consistency & you need a full makeup remover to remove it. This kind is usually applied for photo shoot or video shoot with very high definition cameras. This has a straight finish. It's like another skin placed on top of your skin. This is not good for everyday use especially if you are just going to office work or school.

FINISH - or the end result that you want your face to look. There are three (3) types of finishes. First, dewy finish which has a moist appearance on your face. It's like a lot of moisturizer on your face. This is what they sometimes called "glow" finish like the looks of JLo or the Kardashians or supermodels in the Victoria's Secret Angels. Perfect for both oily & dry skin. Another, is the matte finish which a flat shade but velvety finish. There's no radiance nor light in it like Marilyn Monroe in the 50's or Madonna in the 90's but not to those with dry skin. This is mostly use for those people who have very oily skin because it absorbs oils. Remember when the weather is hot & you sweat & when you wipe off you feel sticky? It's because of the oils that your skin releases. And the last one is the satin finish which is in between of matte & dewy finish that is perfect for all skin types. This leaves your face looking soft with shimmery effect.

Now that you know what you want in your foundation & the idea of what shade, it's time for testing. The best thing to do is choose 3 shades that you think is the closest shade of your skin then have these applied a tiny amount from your jaw to your neck.

Take a look at the picture below.

Now, try to blend each of them. I prefer you to use the warmth of your fingers because for it to blend well. Then, stand at a light the best is on a natural light like the sun but not under the sun! Then, look at the swatches of foundation on your face. The one the looks like the color of your skin, same color as your face & neck is the right shade foundation for you. Now, you might be wondering why when you already found your right shade that sometimes during later months your face looks darker that than rest of your skin. It's because during summer months, your skin tends to get a shade darker & during those cooler months like the "Ber" months, it's because your skin tends to get lighter or paler. I will tackle that in my later posts so, do watch out for that.

Well, that's it guys. Hope this posts helps a lot especially to those who is starting on makeup. If you have any more questions, feel free to message me on the comment below & I will get back to you or better yet do a blog post on that.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

I am saying this & I am saying this again. I have dark circles problem & before I thought just applying an ordinary concealer is enough but I was wrong. It always end up sinking into fine lines or being very cake-y after setting it with powder or worse having a raccoon eye which ugh... doesn't look good. When I learned about applying corrector, I thought it would just be the same result like before but boy, I was wrong. I got a brighter complexion as if I had a wonderful beauty rest!

Here are my Top 3 Fave Corrector - all drugstore! Which I have done each one of them a blog post. Just click the name of the corrector.

For all of you who have been following my blog posts must be aware that I've been talking about correctors probably because one of my problem are my dark circles. One of the correctors I've been talking about is the Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach. Peachy color corrector is a perfect shade to counteract blue circles.

Packaging ; It comes in a small glassy jar with a green plastic with a cute pixie fairy shape.

As you can see there's a deep dent on it, been using this a lot. I pre-order this from a seller that bought straight from the US that's why I've been using this sparingly but I was glad that now it's available here. Now, I don't have to worry if I have hit pan on this *so happy*

Net Weight : 3 g / 0.1 oz.

Overall : This is a good peachy corrector though need to apply it little by little with its thick cream. This shade is good for every skin tone, once I applied it, I found a great brightening result on my dark under eyes. Have you tried this corrector? What do you think?Thank you for stopping by.Peppermint Crinkles' Approval : 5/5Xoxo,Mary AnnYou can buy Pixi products here from Glamourbox PH

Disclaimer : I bought this product with my own money. I am not paid, influenced or affiliated with this company. Everything written in my post is in my own honest opinion & point of view.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Corrector plays a major part in the steps of doing makeup because, from the word, it corrects the uneven skin tone of an individual. It cancels out discoloration in your face that depends on what color you want to cancel out. There are a lot of beauty brands that sells corrector concealers one of them (which is one of my wishlist) that started it all is the Bobbi Brown Corrector. But I must admit, I am one of those person which doesn't want to spend much money just to buy a concealer, it's not yet on my price point. Thankfully, there are other drugstore brands that sells their own version of correctors & one of them is SkinFood which is a Korean brand that is available pretty much in every malls here in the Philippines.

Before I bought this, I Googled for reviews & swatches & most reviews said that this is an alternative to Pixi Correction Concentrate corrector that is not yet available here that I was itching to buy during that time.

Packaging : It comes in a small glass like jar with a gold color lid.

The shade leans more of a lighter peach. I did a comparison with Pixi Correction Concentrate, you can check my swatches of the two in this post.

Overall, I love this product. It's creamy & the right shade for my skintone & I believe to all skintone. Thick enough but not too thick to sink into fine lines. A little goes a long way with this product.

So, did you try this corrector? What do you think?

Thanks for dropping by!

XoXo,

Mary Ann

Peppermint Crinkles' Approval : 4.5 / 5

Disclaimer : I bought this product with my own money. I am not paid, influenced nor affiliated with this company. Everything written in my blog is in my utmost honest opinion & point of view.